Various integrated voice/data communications systems have been proposed. Exemplary systems of this type are disclosed in the following U.S. patents, all of which were originally assigned to the assignee of the present invention: U.S. application Ser. No. 09/055,072, filed on Apr. 3, 1998, for Systems and Methods for Multiple Mode Voice and Data Communications Using Intelligently Bridged TDM and Packet Buses; U.S. application Ser. No. 09/055,036, filed on Apr. 3, 1998, for System and Method for Generating Voltages in Telephony Station Cards; U.S. application Ser. No. 09/161,550, filed on Sep. 25, 1998, for Systems and Methods for Multiple Mode Voice and Data Communications Using Intelligently Bridged TDM and Packet Buses and Methods for Performing Telephony and Data Functions Using the Same; U.S. application Ser. No. 09/163,596, filed on Sep. 29, 1998, for Systems and Methods for Multiple Mode Voice and Data Communications Using Intelligently Bridged TDM and Packet Buses and Methods for Performing Telephony and Data Functions Using the Same; U.S. application Ser. No. 09/167,408, filed on Oct. 6, 1998, for Systems and Methods for Multiple Mode Voice and Data Communications Using Intelligently Bridged TDM and Packet Buses and Methods for Performing Telephony and Data Functions Using the Same; U.S. application Ser. No. 09/283,101, filed on Mar. 31, 1999 for Systems and Methods For Multiple Mode Voice and Data Communications Using Intelligently Bridged TDM and Packet Buses and Methods For Performing Telephony And Data Functions Using the Same; and U.S. application Ser. No. 09/368,460, filed on Aug. 4, 1999 for Systems and Methods For Multiple Mode Voice and Data Communications Using Intelligently Bridged TDM and Packet Buses and Methods For Implementing Language Capabilities Using the Same (the “Referenced Patent Documents”). The Referenced Patent Documents are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Such integrated systems are known to provide various advanced and desirable voice and data communications services and functions, including management and control of telephone calls and the like.
In today's business and personal environment, many users of such systems generate, receive and/or display content from a wide variety of data sources on their computers. For example, a researcher may simultaneously, or within a very short amount of time, be viewing content from the Internet, from local or remote data bases, from emails, from locally or remotely stored computer files, from other computer or storage devices connected via a local area or wide area network, etc. In many instances, it is desirable for a user to be making, managing or controlling telephone calls while also engaged in viewing such content on a computer. It also is common for a user to desire to make telephone calls related to the viewed content, which may be a regular or frequent basis.
While integrated voice/data communications systems such as described above provide various desirable telephone communications services and functions, improved systems and methods for making, managing and controlling telephone calls are desired, particularly for users of such integrated voice/data communications systems.